Let’s try making a chair using what we’ve learned so far, and introduce a couple new techniques along the way.
Step 1: Using 4 elongated cube primitives, form the rectangular frame of a chair seat.
Step 2: Select one of the shorter sides of the frame, copy and paste it, and move it in towards the hollow area of the frame.
Step 3: On the left-hand side panel, there is a button near the top of it with an icon showing two spheres; this button enables Component Mode, which makes primitives more editable (allowing us to sculpt them better). Select the newly copied section of the chair frame, and click this button.
Step 4: Further down on the same left-hand panel, you’ll notice an icon with an orange square above a small 2x2 black grid; this is the button to enable Face Mode. Face Mode allows you to select and manipulate the faces of an object. Click on the Face Mode button, and on the newest object, select the face looking towards the other short side of the chair frame.
Step 5: Once selected, use the move tool to pull the face along the X/Z axis until the hollow part of the frame is completely covered. Your chair seat should now be composed of a rough square at the center, enclosed by 4 rectangular primitives.
Step 6: Next we’re going to create a dip/indentation in the chair seat to make it look a bit more comfortable. For this, switch on Face Mode and select the top face of the center rectangle, then right click on your object and select the Knife Tool from the menu. The Knife tool allows you to cut new segments on your models however you wish. With the Knife tool selected, go ahead and cut out 2 straight diagonal segments across the face of that rectangle, connecting the 4 corners of it together such that you’re left with a nice large ‘X’ on that face.
Step 7: Notice where your new segments intersect, Cinema 4D has automatically created a ‘point’ there for our convenience. To work with points, go once again to your left-hand side bar and one icon above the Face Mode button is the Points Mode button, designated by 3 orange dots on a small black grid. Points Mode, like Face Mode, allows you to select and modify Points. Now turn on Points Mode, and select that newly created point at the center of your object.
Step 8: Using the Move Tool, push that selected point down along the Y-axis, until you’re just about touching the bottom face; this will result in a nice dip for your chair seat.
[In addition to the Face and Points modes we just learned, there is also an Edge Mode (right in between the icons for the other two) that you could also use, and like the others, it is useful for moving/manipulating the edges of your objects.]
Step 9: Create the legs of the chair using Lathe Nurbs.
Lathe Nurbs:Step 1: Using 4 elongated cube primitives, form the rectangular frame of a chair seat.
Step 2: Select one of the shorter sides of the frame, copy and paste it, and move it in towards the hollow area of the frame.
Step 3: On the left-hand side panel, there is a button near the top of it with an icon showing two spheres; this button enables Component Mode, which makes primitives more editable (allowing us to sculpt them better). Select the newly copied section of the chair frame, and click this button.
Step 4: Further down on the same left-hand panel, you’ll notice an icon with an orange square above a small 2x2 black grid; this is the button to enable Face Mode. Face Mode allows you to select and manipulate the faces of an object. Click on the Face Mode button, and on the newest object, select the face looking towards the other short side of the chair frame.
Step 5: Once selected, use the move tool to pull the face along the X/Z axis until the hollow part of the frame is completely covered. Your chair seat should now be composed of a rough square at the center, enclosed by 4 rectangular primitives.
Step 6: Next we’re going to create a dip/indentation in the chair seat to make it look a bit more comfortable. For this, switch on Face Mode and select the top face of the center rectangle, then right click on your object and select the Knife Tool from the menu. The Knife tool allows you to cut new segments on your models however you wish. With the Knife tool selected, go ahead and cut out 2 straight diagonal segments across the face of that rectangle, connecting the 4 corners of it together such that you’re left with a nice large ‘X’ on that face.
Step 7: Notice where your new segments intersect, Cinema 4D has automatically created a ‘point’ there for our convenience. To work with points, go once again to your left-hand side bar and one icon above the Face Mode button is the Points Mode button, designated by 3 orange dots on a small black grid. Points Mode, like Face Mode, allows you to select and modify Points. Now turn on Points Mode, and select that newly created point at the center of your object.
Step 8: Using the Move Tool, push that selected point down along the Y-axis, until you’re just about touching the bottom face; this will result in a nice dip for your chair seat.
[In addition to the Face and Points modes we just learned, there is also an Edge Mode (right in between the icons for the other two) that you could also use, and like the others, it is useful for moving/manipulating the edges of your objects.]
Step 9: Create the legs of the chair using Lathe Nurbs.
To create the legs, we are going to use Lathe Nurbs, which essentially sweep a spline around 360 degrees to form a 3D object.
To do this, lets first go to either our ‘Front’ or ‘Right’ alternate view, and move your chair seat so that it’s edge is aligned next to the Y-axis, then adjust the scene so that you have sufficient room to work with under your seat. Now grab a spline tool such as the Bezier or Akima tools; these tools allow you to draw smooth, rounded splines, necessary to make our chair legs look nice. Now start drawing from the bottom edge of your seat, up against the Y-axis, and draw only the RIGHT HALF of your chair leg; that is, if you were to picture your ideal chair leg cut vertically right down the middle, how would the right half look like? Use the Y-axis to guide you so you don’t make your half-leg too skinny; also, ensure that your leg starts and ends touching the Y-axis, cause you don’t want your leg to be hollow!
If you wish to make any adjustments to your spline after you’ve drawn it, you could always turn on Points Mode, and use the Move Tool to select and move/adjust any points you made.
Once your spline is drawn, go up to the Nurbs menu, and select the ‘Lathe Nurbs’. Just like the Extrude Nurbs, the Lathe Nurbs will appear in your Object Manager, and then all you have to do is drag the spline you just drew over the Lathe Nurbs, and parent them together. Now if you go to your perspective view, you should see that you have a good solid 3D chair leg.
Step 10: Copy and paste your leg 3 times so you have 4 legs, and go to your top view so you can align them properly under your chair seat.
Step 11: Now to make the backrest of the chair, you can copy/paste one of the long rectangles from the frame of the seat, and rotate it so that it’s vertical. Use your alternate views to position it on a corner where your backrest is going to be.
Step 12: Next, make your rectangle editable by enabling Component Mode, then switch on Face Mode and select the top face of the rectangle. Use the Move tool to pull this face upwards, making the rectangle taller, and pull it a bit back, so that your rectangle is slanted like a reclined backrest. Copy and paste this inclined rectangle a couple times, and place the copies along the back edge of the seat to continue forming the backrest.
Step 13: Finally, just create a simple skinny rectangle that goes along the tops of the inclined rectangles to form the overall frame of the backrest, and you’ll be done.
[Alternatively, you could make the backrest spokes out of Lathe Nurbs, like the legs. Feel free to customize the chair however you wish.]
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